Flume.



N. VJ FITTS.

FLUME.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 12. I914.

Patented May 2,1916.

2 SHEETS-wSHEET 1.

wums gw z N. V. FITTS.

FLUME.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 12, I914.

Patented May 2, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fag: N5

5 Q. m m E NORMAN V. FITIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

FLUME.

Application filed November 12, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LNQRMAN V. IFrr'rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flumes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

i This invention relates to flumes and particularly to flumes formed of sheets of material having so called overlapping fiat joints, and has for an object to provide a flume of that class which shall have great durability and efficiency but of such simple design as to require a minimum of time and cost in provision of materials for and construction and erection of the same.

Another object is to provide, in a flume of the class described, an improved, simplified and inexpensive construction for compensat ing or allowing for or taking up expansion and contraction of the fiume or of the sheets composing it.

Another object is to provide, in a flume of the class described, an improved and simplified construction for retaining the sheets in overlapping position;

Another object is to provide, in a flume'of the class described, an improved, simplified and inexpensive construction for forcing and retaining together the overlapping portions of the sheets for forming a tight joint. Another object is to provide, in a flume of the class described, an improved, simplified and inexpensive construction for increasing thestiifness of the edges of the sheets forming such flume.

Another object is to provide a flume of the class described which shall require in its construction a minimum of machine formed parts and a maximum proportion of parts or material ordinarily obtainable upon the open market and known as either raw material or stock material.

WVith these and other objects in view the V v invention comprises certain novel construc- 5O tions, combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar charac gters of reference indicate corresponding Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Serial No. 871,783.

parts throughout the several views and in which Figure I. is a top plan of a portion of a flume constructed in accordance with my invention showing in dotted lines the overlapping edges and straps. Fig. II. is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line AA of Fig. I. Fig. III. is a top plan of a portion of a joint of the fiume with nut and clamp removed and illustrating in detail the relative shapes and positions of the strap and of the crimps in the overlapping sheets. Fig. IV. is a detail view of a por tion of a joint of the flume with nut and clamp in place, showing the crimps in dotted lines. Fig. V. is a detail section view on line A.A. of Fig. III, but showing the strap in elevation. Fig. VI. is a detail section view on line A A of Fig. IV. Fig. VII. is a side elevation of the clamp. Fig. VIII. is a plan view of the clamp showing position of strap in relation thereto.

am aware that flumes have been constructed by the use of sheets of material, the joints or connections between-the sheet-s being formed by overlapping the edges of the sheets, a band or strap to support the outer sheet being provided at each joint and pres sure being exerted upon the inner sheet to make it fit tight against the outer sheet to form a tight joint or connection between the two. The flumes of this class now in use, however, require sheets and other parts so specially fabricated that it is a practical necessity to have said sheets and other parts formed by machinery at points distant fro-m the location of the flume to be constructed. This in turn necessitates, among other things, in all eXceptstraight-away work, the taking of exact measurements and laying of exact plans, then so fabricating the sheets as to fit said measurements and plans and then shipping the sheets so fabricated to the point of use.

In constructing a flum'e in accordance with my invention, 'sheets of material in raw or stock form are delivered on the ground and'so small in amount and so simple in kind is the fabrication of such sheets that it is most readily and efficiently done on the ground by hand and with hand tools as the fiume is being constructed.

My invention thus eliminates the loss of e a money incid tothe p l na y.

measurements and plans and machine fabrication of Sheets. It further lessens the transportation expense as the raw material takes a lower rate than fabricated material and, moreover, the raw material may be sent direct from its source to the point of fiume construction whereas the fabricated sheets involve a double transportation charge, one upon the raw material to place of fabrication and another upon the fabricated sheets to the point of use. This saving in time and expense is one of the principal objects of my invention and is thus explained at length in order that the full significance of certain seemingly small innovations in construction may be grasped.

The other objects of my invention are, however, by no means to be lost sight of, but will be fully explained hereinafter.

My fiume is constructed or hung upon or supported by stringers 1, of wood or other suitable material and of size suitable to support the fiume to be constructed. The stringers are supported upon posts or in any suitable or ordinary manner, not shown and forming no part of this invention. Bifurcated clamps 2 are attached to the stringers 1 in any suitable manner as by lag screws 3, holes 3"* being provided therefor in clamp 2, the two arms of the clamp being bent downward and preferably slightly backward into hooks as at 4 to engage the inner sheet as hereinafter described. I further provide straps 5 bent to the shape of the fiume to be constructed and having threaded ends 6 which rest between the arms of clamps 2 as shown at Fig. VIII. and are provided with washers 7 and nuts 8 bearing upon clamps 2 and acting as hangers to suspend the straps 5 therefrom.

Sheets 9 of suitable material, preferably of thin sheet steel, are bent into semi-circular or gutter shape and laid within the straps 5. For flumes of the usual and ordinary sizes, previous bending of the sheets is unnecessary because sheets of thin steel or other suitable material will ea ily bend to the semi-circular shape of the flume so that flat sheets may be shipped direct to the point of construction of the flume. These straps 5 are spaced along the stringers 1 at distances a little less than the length of the sheets used so that each sheet rests upon two straps and extends slightly beyond each strap as clearly indicated at Figs. I. and II. It is thus evident that the sheets overlap at each strap and in order that the joints may im ede the flow of the water as little as possible. each sheet is made to form the under or outer layer at the higher of the two joints at which it overlaps, and is made to form the upper or inner layer at the lower joint at which it overlaps. The terms upper and lower are here used because flumes are ordinarily constructed upon a grade but it will be understood that the term upp'er refers to the joint nearer the source from which the water is flowing and the term lower refers to the joint nearer the point to which the water is to be carried even though the fluine at that particular portion might be level. The overlapping portions of the sheets are designated as 9 for the inner layer and 9 for the outer layer at each joint.

The sheets are of substantially the same width so that when they are bent and one is laid within the other, it is evident that the edges of the inner sheet will. project higher than the edges of the outer sheet. This is clearly shown in Figs. II., V. and VI.

In the construction of this flume the strap 5 is lowered to such a position that the upper edges of the outer sheet 9, lying next to the strap, will be slightly below the level of the top surface of the stringer 1, as clearly indicated at 9 while the upper edges of the inner layer 9*, lying within the sheet 9", will come approximately to the level of the stringer 1 as clearly indicated at 9. It will thus be apparent that when the clamp 2 is positioned as shown in Figs. I, II. and VI., it will rest upon the top surface of stringer 1 and upon the upper edge of the inner sheet 9 and the arms 4 of the clamp will engage the inner surface of the inner sheet 9 as clearly shown in Figs. I., II., IV., and VI.

It will thus be apparent that when the nuts 8 are screwed down, the strap 5 and the outer sheet 9 will be drawn upward while the inner sheet 9 will be forced downward by the pressure of clamp 2 upon the upper edge of the sheet 9 so that the screwing down of nuts 8 will draw the sheets 9 and 9 tightly together forming a tight joint.

It will be evident that a considerable pressure will have to be exerted in order to bring the sheets tightly together and that the upper edges 9 of the inner sheet 9 would be apt to bend or give way under such pressure unless they are stiffened or supported in some manner. I therefore provide each sheet at each end with a single pair of oppositely disposed projections, preferably formed by striking up or bending the metal at the edge of the sheet inward toward the center of the flume section. The drawings show these projections as made in the form of crimps 10 and 11 in the inner and outer sheets respectively, the crimp 11 being struck on approximately the arc of a circle of suflicient size to lie closely over the strap 5 if the latter be round as shown, and the crimp 10 being preferably wider on its inside than the crimp 11 on its outside so that the two crimps do not closely engage each other.- I prefer to form these crimps only at the edges of the fiume sections, for several reasons. First, it is easier to stretch sheet metal by a small tool at the edge of the sheet. Second, I purposely avoid carrying the crimps around the body of the fiume. sections, because I desire that the latter shall be unbroken at the sides and bottom of the fiume so as to present little or no interruption to the flow of water therethrough. Third, the interengaging crimps are necessary only at the edges, and it is quicker and cheaper to form them there than to carry them completely across the width of each section. Finally, loosely engaging crimps at the edges only of semicircular fiume sections permit slight movements or adjustments of the sections on each other, vertically as Well as horizontally, as will be explained below. It is well known that crimping the edge of a sheet in this manner strengthens the sheet as against a pressure exerted upon the edge. My construction not only gains the strength resulting from the crimp itself but furthermore I make the crimp 10 of such width that the arms 4 of the clamp 2 will engage the inner sheet 9 closely upon each side of the crimp as clearly indicated in F ig. VI. Furthermore the strap 5. lies Within the crimp 11 on the outside of both sheets as illustrated in Fig. III, while the arms I of the clamp project downward on the inside of the sheets as above described. The parts are so adjusted that the inner and outer layers 9 and 9 will be forced tightlytogether bv the pressure of the strap 5 on the outside and the pressure of the arms 4 of the clamp on the inside, and as an aid in obtaining this result the arms 4 are preferably bent slightly backward or hooked as indicated at Fig. VI. so that the tighter the nut 8 is screwed down and the more pressure that is exerted upon the edge 9 of the inner sheet 9 the stronger will be the backward pres sure of the arms 4 upon the inner sheet 9 and the tighter will the sheets be forced together between the arms 4 and the strap '5. This results in the edge 9 being strengthened not only by the crimp 10 but also by the support given to it by the arms 4, the upper edge 9 of sheet 9 and the strap 5. The upper edge 9 is thus strengthened to such an extent that it will withstand a pressure from the clamp 2 great enough to cause the overlapping edge of sheet 9 to buckle or bend at some other point than the point at which the pressure is thus applied to it by clamp 2.

In addition to strengthening the edges of the sheets as above described, the crimps serve the purpose of holding the outer and inner sheets together, for it is evident that while the sheets are gripped by the clamp 2 and the strap 5, the crimp 11 so fits within the crimp 10 and the crimp 10 so fits over the crimp 11 that longitudinal displacement of ei h r she t from the other is prevented.

Yet it will be noted that the crimp 10 is wider than the crimp 11 so that some slight movement of the sheets relative to each other is permitted and thus'provision is made for taking up or compensating for expansion or contraction of the sheets resultin g from heat and cold. Also this looseness of engagement permits one section to be set slightly out of line with the next, as when it is desired to deflect the fiume horizontally for carrying it around a curve; and it permits one section to be set at a little different pitch from the next, as when it is desired to change the gradient of the flu1neyet the smooth interior of the sides and bottom of the fiume is uninterrupted, and the water or other material will flow freely.

It will be evident that the crimps in the edges of the sheets are of such nature that they can be easily made by small hand tools which can be furnished at the place of construction and it will thus be evident that the sheets used in the construction of a fiume constructed in accordance with my inven' tion can be shipped to the point of construction in their flat or raw state so that the cost of transporting them to the place of construction is much less than if the sheets were fabricated prior to the transportation. It will also be noted that the fabrication of the sheets used in my invention is very little in amount and very simple in kind so that the expense of fabrication is reduced to a minimum while at the same time the efficiency of the sheets and of the joint construction is in no manner lessened but on the contrary is made sufficient for all purposes.

I claim 1. A fiume made in gutter-shaped sections lapping each other at their ends, said sections being smooth along the bottom and sides and provided at their ends and near their edges with a single pair of depressions in the opposite walls of one section and a registering pair of projections in the walls of the other section loosely engaging said depressions, and means for maintaining said engagement and for supporting the lapping ends, as set forth. I

2. A fiume composed of sheet metal guttor-shaped sections lapping each other at their ends, the sections being smooth at the bottom and sides throughout their length and smooth at the edges except at said ends where they are struck up to produce a pair of pivotal connections standing on a transverse line across the fiume, and means for clamping the ends of the sections together and supporting them, for the purpose set forth.

3. A fiume made in guttei shaped sections with overlapping ends at their points of juncture, each section being uninterrupted and smooth along the bottom and provided Pal at each end and at opposite points and near its edges with a pair of crimps adapted to engage the registering crimps in the lapping end of the other section, a strap wholly outside the flume at each point of juncture and extending beneath the lower section and up its sides, and means for drawing the ends of the strap upward and for holding the inner section from rising.

4. A flume made in gutter-shaped sections of sheet metal with overlapping ends, said sections being smooth along the bottom and sides and each provided at said overlapping end and at opposite points in its edges with a pair of crimps projecting toward the in terior of the flume whereby the crimps in the outer section engage those in the inner section, av transverse strap extending beneath the outer section and up its sides and through its crimps, and means for supporting the strap.

5. A flume made in gutter-shaped sections with overlapping ends provided with inwardly projecting interengaging crimps, those in the inner ends being appreciably wider than those in the outer ends which engage them, transverse straps under said ends and within said outer crimps supports alongside the flume, clamps secured at their outer ends upon the supports and having their inner ends bifurcated and resting upon the edges of the inner flume sections on opposite sides of their crimps, and means for drawing said straps upwardly through the clamps.

6. A fiume made in gutter-shaped sections with overlapping ends provided with intor-engaging crimps at the edges only, the

crimps in the inner ends being appreciably wider than those in the outer ends which engage them, transverse straps whose bodies underlie said outer ends and whose end portions stand within said outer crimps, supports alongside the flame, clamps secured at their outer ends upon the supports and having their inner ends bifurcated and resting upon the edges of the inner flume sections on opposite sides of their crimps, and means above the clamps for drawing said straps upwardly therethrough.

7. A fiume made in gutter-shaped sections with overlapping ends, said sections being smooth at the bottom and sides and provided with inter-engaging crimps at the edges only of their overlapping portions,the crimps in the inner ends being appreciably wider than those in the outer ends which engage them, transverse straps whose bodies underlie said outer ends and whose side portions l1e wlthln said outer crimps, supports alongslde the flume, clamps at mtervalssecured to the supports and having their inner ends bifurcated and passing astride said straps and the extremities of the arms 'of'the bifurcation turned down at opposite sides of the crimps in the inner flume sections, and means above the clamps for drawing said straps upwardly therethrough, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NORMAN V. FITTS.

Witnesses:

CABLE \VHITEHEAD, ALBERT L. VoGL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

